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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · wound · mug · charge · key · rule · track · bark

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — a path
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rule — government
  21. track — a song
  22. rule — a law
  23. key — for a lock
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com